HOLIDAY HAPPENINGS

By Nadia Beaubrun, Senior

Have you ever ended up at the movie theater and had no idea which movie to see?​ There is one movie you absolutely need to watch—the breathtaking, dramatic cinematic masterpiece titled Moonlight. Moonlight, directed by Barry Jenkins, is based on a young boy, Chiron. His story portrays the often-occulted struggles of growing up poor, black, and gay during Miami’s “War on Drugs” era in a very blunt and accurate manner. The movie also depicts the topics of drug abuse, imprisonment of African Americans, and school violence. However, to classify the movie based on solely these categories would be extremely limiting and too ambiguous. To fully capture the essence of this movie, it would be sincerer to say that this mind-blowing film is about teaching a child to swim, about cooking a meal for an old friend, about the feeling of sand on skin and the sound of waves on a darkened beach, about first kisses and lingering regrets. ​ The affectionate, heartbreaking story of a young boy who goes through the stages of life in Liberty City and experiences the ecstasy, pain, and beauty of falling in love, while realizing his own sexuality is beautifully projected in this film. In all, the movie is about male relationships that transcend race or culture. Ultimately, Moonlight is a film that does not shy away from portraying a harsh reality, while still maintaining an outstanding written elegance, harmony, and flamboyant human faces. So the next time you are in search of a good movie, just watch Moonlight.